Human Rights Defenders Alert - India has issued urgent appeal to the Focal Point for Human Rights Defenders in National Human Rights Commission, Delegation of the European Union to India, The Chairperson of Chhattisgarh Human Rights Commission, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Chief Secretary of Govt. of Chhattisgarh, Director General of Police Chhattisgarh, District Collector of Bastar District, Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights Defenders-Geneva, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) Bangkok, Frontline-The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, OMCT International Secretariate-Geneva & The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders-Switzerland writing to express our grave concern regarding Illegal arrest, detention on false charges and custodial torture of a Journalist and human rights defender Mr. Santosh Yadav of Darbha area in tribal Bastar district of Chhattisgarh by the Chhattisgarh Police. Mr. Santosh Yadav has been reporting regularly for the vernacular newspaper Dainik Navbharat as a "stringer" for almost 10 years. Journalist Santosh Yadav has been facing threats on his life from the Chhattisgarh police. Last year, the police threatened to kill him in a fake encounter for his fearless reporting. He was being harassed and pressurised to act as a police informer. Journalist Santosh Yadav remained undeterred and continued to do his reporting assignments.

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